Latest news with #Rowan&Martin'sLaugh-In
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul Nichols, Longtime TV Publicist, Dies at 76
Paul Nichols, a veteran publicist who had stints at Group W, All American Television, Sony Pictures Television and the Lippin Group, has died. He was 76. Nichols died March 14 at his home in Weatherford, Texas, his family announced. His wife of 31 years, Linda, died 12 days before he did. More from The Hollywood Reporter Carolyn Raskin, Producer of Frank Sinatra Specials and 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' Dies at 97 Charley Scalies, Actor on 'The Wire' and 'The Sopranos,' Dies at 84 Kirk Medas, 'Floribama Shore' Star, Dies at 33 In 1991, Nichols helped All American Television bring Baywatch into first-run syndication, a move that essentially kicked off the weekly action-hour craze of the 1990s and early 2000s. The David Hasselhoff starrer had been canceled by NBC after one season but went on to air for 10 more years, through 2001. Fellow publicist Les Eisner said Nichols 'was largely responsible for branding [Baywatch] as the world's most-watched TV series. Whether that was true or not, who knows? But it stuck.' Born on March 22, 1948, in Wilmington, Delaware, Nichols graduated from State College Area High School in State College, Pennsylvania, in 1966 and from Penn State University in 1970 with a degree in broadcast journalism. He started his career as DJs at an AM radio station in State College and at an FM station in Philadelphia before landing a job at Group W's The Mike Douglas Show, which was based in Philadelphia. He then moved to California in 1980 to work for Douglas' talk-show successor, John Davidson. His wife was a senior executive at the TV marketing association Promax. After the couple retired, they moved to Texas to be closer to her family. Eisner noted that Nichols was 'a great mentor to a cadre of publicists, myself and Frank [Marchesini] included. … He will be remembered for his sharp wit, rather cynical view of life and, along with Linda, his love of animals.' Survivors include his brother, Robert; sister-in-law Denise; nephews Steve and James; and niece Caitlin. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Foley, Director of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross,' ‘House of Cards' and ‘Fifty Shades,' Dies at 71
James Foley, the Brooklyn-born filmmaker who collaborated with A-list stars like Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Madonna and Mark Wahlberg across a 30-plus-year career in film, TV and music videos, has died. He was 71. Foley's rep said Thursday he died 'peacefully in his sleep earlier this week' at his Los Angeles home following a 'years-long struggle' with brain cancer. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jirí Bartoska, Czech Actor and Longtime Karlovy Vary Film Festival President, Dies at 78 Paul Nichols, Longtime TV Publicist, Dies at 76 Carolyn Raskin, Producer of Frank Sinatra Specials and 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' Dies at 97 Born on Dec. 28, 1953, and raised in New York, Foley graduated from high school and went on to study film at New York University and then at USC in Los Angeles. It was during his final year of film school that a chance meeting would change the course of his life and jump start his career behind the camera. 'I was very lucky, and in the perverse calculus of Hollywood I was in the last year of film school and shared a house with a guy. There was a woman who was pursuing my friend so we had this film school party, which consisted of people projecting their student films onto a white wall and getting stoned,' Foley recalled in a detailed anecdote to Film Freak Central. 'And this girl came. Hal Ashby was pursuing her — she was pursuing my friend and Hal was pursuing her — and Hal called her up and asked to come to this party full of film students. Just as he walked through the door, my film was showing on the wall. I'll never know whether he was being polite or anything, but he told me he liked it and stuff and he was going to form a company that was going to produce other people's movies and what did I want to do? I could write something and direct it.' Foley admitted that he thought it was all a dream. But by the time he wrote a draft of a screenplay, Ashby had released two films, both of which 'bombed terribly,' leading to a lost opportunity for Foley. 'But at that time, because Hal Ashby had hired me, I became known to other people in Hollywood and got kind of viable in that weird calculus of Hollywood just because someone else, respected, thought I was viable.' He was able to ride that momentum to his directorial debut, 1984's Reckless, starring Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah. He followed it by directing Madonna's 'Dress You Up' music video in what would mark the first of many collaborations with the Material Girl helming many of her iconic music videos, including 'Live to Tell,' 'Papa Don't Preach,' 'True Blue' and 'The Look of Love.' He also directed the 1987 feature film Who's That Girl starring Madonna opposite Griffin Dunne. It was the latest push in the pop superstar's acting career following Desperately Seeking Susan and Shanghai Surprise, and it landed with a thud at the box office, leading Foley to reflect on his career. 'It was a major life experience. That first failure is so shocking,' he once said. His follow-up film came in 1986 with the Sean Penn- and Christopher Walken-starrer At Close Range. He went on to direct After Dark, My Sweet starring Jason Patric, Rachel Ward and Bruce Dern and an episode of Twin Peaks before helming 1992's Glengarry Glen Ross from a script by David Mamet. Set in the high stakes world of real estate, the film starred Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey. Pacino landed a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his work in the film. Foley and Pacino would go on to collaborate again with 1995's Two Bits. In 1996, Foley saw the release of his thriller Fear, starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon. Though it grossed just $20.8 million at the box office, the film was credited for fueling the careers of its stars who have gone on to become two of Hollywood's most successful actor-producers. After Fear, Foley worked with Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell on 1996's The Chamber; again with Wahlberg on 1999's action-packed The Corruptor, co-starring Chow Yun-Fat; with Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman and Paul Giamatti on 2003's Confidence; and with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis on the 2007 thriller Perfect Stranger. His experience on the latter film led him to take a break from movies. 'For various reasons, it was not the best experience I've had. I kind of withdrew after that moment,' he told FilmInk. Foley then took his talents to the small screen for a spell, directing an episode of Hannibal before checking into Netflix's inaugural series House of Cards, a gig he said he got after a period of being in 'director jail' thanks to the belief of David Fincher. Foley would eventually direct 12 episodes of the acclaimed series. He also jumped behind the camera for two episodes of Showtime's Billions. But back to the big screen he went, taking over the Fifty Shades franchise from Sam Taylor-Johnson. He directed the final two films in the franchise, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Foley talked about the seamless transitions he made throughout his career by moving between TV and film and across various genres. 'What I love is that it's fluid. I've had a very fluid career of ups and downs and lefts and rights, and I always just responded to what I was interested in at the moment and I was very unconscious about genre,' he said while promoting his work in the new Fifty Shades franchise. ' So the thing I would say I least like is there is an understandable tendency to, of course, pigeonhole somebody or identify them as, 'He does this kind of movie, so if we're making that kind of movie, we should get him and he'll make it like the other ones he's made.' That is of no interest to me, personally, to repeat myself. So I've always just followed my nose, for better or for worse, sometimes for worse.' In an interview with Movie Habit, Foley said he trusted his gut by taking on projects that he liked and ones he felt audiences would as well. 'Not to be eclectic for eclectic's sake, but if I follow this idea of 'what do I like?' I guess it's going to be eclectic. Looking back, I become conscious of connections between a bunch of films. Obviously, males who are alienated and estranged from the mainstream. Groupings of males and the dynamics among them,' he said of the types of characters featured in his films. 'I never thought about it until it was over, but I think Confidence is kind of an interesting cousin to Glengarry, in that it is a group of guys together in pursuit of money, and what their allegiance is, and their betrayals.' He also credited an attention to detail and involvement in all aspects of filmmaking to his longevity. 'I am incredibly hands-on about everything,' he told FilmInk. 'You have to know when to apply or relieve pressure. You have to make the actors aware that you're empathetic. The best actors want to be directed. Once you're on the same wavelength, you get incredible results.' Foley is survived by his brother, Kevin; sisters Eileen and Jo Ann; and nephew Quinn (fiancé of Antea Kalinic). He was predeceased by another brother, Gerard (husband of Ann Marie Quinn Foley). Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ruth Buzzi dead at 88: 70s comedienne was best known for TV's Laugh-In with Goldie Hawn
Seventies comedienne Ruth Buzzi has died at the age of 88. She passed away on Monday at her home in Texas while under hospice, it was reported on her official Facebook page. The star was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2012 and was disabled from a stroke in 2022. The comedienne was best known for starring in the NBC variety sketch comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In which aired from 1968 to 1973. The show won her a Golden Globe Award and received five Emmy nominations. Her costar was Goldie Hawn. Ruth also appeared on several popular TV shows such as Days of Our Lives, The Carol Burnett Show, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Berenstain Bears, The Pink Panther and 1976's Freaky Friday. Her last acting credit was a starring role in the 2021 movie One Month Out. Ruth's close friends were a who's who of the 1970s: Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Marlo Thomas and Johnny Carson. Buzzi was born in Rhode Island and raised in Stonington, Connecticut. Her first job was with singer Rudy Vallee in a live musical and comedy act when she was only 19-years-old and still a student. She moved to New York City after graduation from college then worked alongside Barbra Streisand, Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters, and Carol Burnett. Ruth also appeared in numerous television commercials. Her first big TV role was on The Garry Moore Show in 1964 with Dom DeLuise. The star then appeared on The Entertainers (1964–65). In 1966–67, she appeared in Sweet Charity with Bob Fosse's wife Gwen Verdon in the original cast. Next came The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, a variety series starring Steve Allen. And then she landed a part on her biggest show: Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In where she played Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi; Doris Swizzler; and one of the Burbank Airlines Stewardesses. She could also be seen on That Girl as Marlo Thomas' friend Margie Peterson. Buzzi also guest-starred as Chloe, the wife of phone company worker Henry Beesmeyer (Marvin Kaplan) on Alice in 1981. She was also a guest star on Down to Earth in 1985. Dean Martin's producer Greg Garrison hired her for his comedy specials starring Dom DeLuise. And she popped up on Donny & Marie, The Flip Wilson Show, The Dean Martin Music and Comedy Hour, the Dean Martin Roasts, The Carol Burnett Show, Tony Orlando and Dawn, The Monkees, Emergency!, and variety series hosted by Leslie Uggams and by Glen Campbell. She also appeared occasionally on game shows and was a celebrity judge on The Gong Show. And she was on Lucille Ball's last comedy Life with Lucy as Mrs. Wilcox in the episode Lucy Makes a Hit. She appeared eight times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. And Ruth showed up on Sesame Street in 1993 as shopkeeper, Ruthie. Later, she was seen on Saved by the Bell, The Muppet Show, Passions and Come on Over. She had featured roles in more than 20 films, including Chu Chu and the Philly Flash, Freaky Friday, The North Avenue Irregulars, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, The Villain, The Being, Surf II, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Buzzi lived with her husband, actor Kent Perkins, on a 600-acre cattle and horse ranch near Stephenville, Texas. The TV veteran was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012. In July 2022, it was reported that Buzzi had suffered a series of strokes. Buzzi died at her home in her sleep in hospice care in Stephenville, Texas on May 1, 2025 from complications of Alzheimer's disease, at the age of 88.
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Comedian and ‘Laugh-In' Star Ruth Buzzi Dies at 88
Ruth Buzzi, the comedian and actress best known for her portrayal of the sharp-tongued, purse-wielding Gladys Ormphby on 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' has passed away at 88. Her agent, Mike Eisenstadt, said that Buzzi passed away Thursday at her home in Texas after battling Alzheimer's and receiving hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband, Kent Perkins, shared a message on Facebook, asking fans to share pictures, memories, and cherished moments from her career. 'She asked me to thank all of you for being so good to her for so many years,' the Buzzi's career spanned 45 years, including stage performances and over 200 television appearances. She won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' which ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot. Buzzi was first spotted by 'Laugh-In' creator and producer George Schlatter when she was playing various characters on 'The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.' Related Stories 4/7/2025 1/9/2025 Schlatter saw a picture of her dressed as Gladys Ormphby, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel, clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead. That image made a deep impact. 'I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire,' Schlatter wrote in his 2023 memoir 'Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy.' 'My favorite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early.' The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her. Her most frequent target was Arte Johnson's dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh. 'Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler,' Buzzi told The Connecticut Post in 2018. 'So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who's been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that's almost everyone at some time or other.' Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of entertainment legends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Lucille Ball, among others. Gladys Ormphby wasn't the only personality Buzzi portrayed. Her other recurring characters on 'Laugh-In' included Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris 'I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,' Buzzi told The Connecticut Post. 'I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.' "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" cast members, from left, Lily Tomlin, Henry Gibson, Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens on April 2, 2002, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Nick Ut/AP Photo Love, Peace, and Laughter Ruth Ann Buzzi was born on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island. Her father, Angelo, was a renowned stone sculptor who ran a gravestone and monument business in Stonington, Connecticut. Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17 and earned her Actors' Equity union card during her summer break while touring in a musical and comedy act with singer Rudy Vallee. With her degree from the College of Theatre Arts in hand, Buzzi moved to New York, where she was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue—the first of 19 such shows. But it was just the beginning. In 1964, she landed her television break on 'The Garry Moore Show,' playing Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician's assistant to Dom DeLuise's character Dominic the Great. Her varied TV career included appearances on 'The Entertainers,' 'That Girl,' 'The Lost Saucer,' and Lucille Ball's final sitcom 'Life With Lucy,' as well as cameos in music videos with 'Weird Al' Yankovic and the B-52's. As a voice actor, she took on hundreds of appearances in cartoon series including 'The Smurfs,' 'Pound Puppies,' 'Berenstain Bears,' and 'The Angry Beavers.' She was Emmy-nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on 'Sesame Street.' On the big screen, Buzzi appeared in films such as 'Freaky Friday,' 'Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,' 'The North Avenue Irregulars,' and 'The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.' She was also part of the original Broadway cast of 'Sweet Charity' with Gwen Verdon in 1966. Beyond her screen work, Buzzi entertained a quarter of a million followers on social media with her humor and witty remarks, including classics like 'I have never faked a sarcasm,' 'The trouble with 'You know you're old when your walker comes with curb feelers and an airbag,' was her last humorous Buzzi married actor Kent Perkins in 1978. The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 to live on a ranch near Stephenville. Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia. In a Friday The Associated Press contributed to this article. From NTD News
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ruth Buzzi, legendary comedian and Scowling Lady from 'Laugh-In', passes away at 88
Comic actress Ruth Buzzi , who made millions laugh with her unforgettable role as the stern handbag-swinging Gladys Ormphby on 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ', has passed away at the age of breathed her last peacefully on Thursday at her ranch near Fort Worth, Texas, after living with Alzheimer's disease for over 10 years, as confirmed by her long-time agent, Mike Eisenstadt. 'Her husband of almost 48 years, Kent Perkins, expressed to me that she was making people laugh just a few days ago,' Eisenstadt said in an email to Reuters. Ruth Ann Buzzi was born on 24 July 1936 in Westerly, Rhode Island, and raised in Stonington, Connecticut. She had her heart set on acting from a young age. Straight after school, she packed her bags and moved to California to train at the Pasadena Playhouse for the Performing Arts. While studying there, she crossed paths with future greats like Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman , who were also sharpening their craft at the same time. Rising Through the Ranks by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo Before becoming a household name, Buzzi honed her skills in comedy revues and small television roles. She appeared on 'The Garry Moore Show' in 1964, catching attention with her sharp comedic timing. She also took to the stage in the original Broadway run of 'Sweet Charity' in 1966, playing alongside Gwen Verdon . This helped launch her into the mainstream, where her unique blend of physical comedy and quirky characters made her stand out. Making History on 'Laugh-In' Ruth Buzzi found fame and national love in 1968 when she joined the cast of 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In' – a fast-paced, zany sketch comedy show on NBC. She was the only cast member to appear in every episode until the show ended in 1973. Her most famous character, Gladys Ormphby, became an icon. Dressed in a brown dress, tight hairnet, and forever scowling, Gladys sat on a park bench and fought off the cheeky advances of Arte Johnson 's creepy old man character by whacking him with her handbag. It was comedy gold, and viewers adored it.
